Marmite banned in Denmark because it has too many vitamins

As Marmite fans rage after reports of Denmark’s apparent ban on the spread, the Danish Embassy in London has issued a statement denying the news.

Marmite has been taken off the shelves in Danish shops

The savoury spread had apparently been taken off the shelves in Danish shops as part of a clampdown on foods fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Marmite is high in B vitamins and fortified with folic acid, which helps prevent spinal problems in unborn babies.

Danish authorities have imposed the restrictions to protect customers from exceeding safe levels of nutrients in their diet.

And the spread â famous for being an acquired taste â was apparently one of the foods placed on the banned list.

British hot drinks Horlicks and Ovaltine, along with Farleyâs Rusks â made by the US food giant Heinz â have also been placed on the blacklist.

Vegemite, Marmiteâs Australian rival, has also gone and Kelloggâs cereals fortified with B vitamins have been banned since 2004.

But nutritionist Dr Carina Morris, who said enriching foods âsmacks of the nanny stateâ, was puzzled by the Marmite ban.

âB vitamins are water soluble. Theyâre flushed out of your body every day and itâs very difficult to overdose on them,â she said.

âProbably more of a concern is that Marmite is high is salt, but you only have a scraping of it, not whole teaspoonfuls.â

The British Nutrition Foundation said some foods were fortified as a âpublic health measureâ, which benefited certain groups in particular such as girls who often did not consume enough riboflavin (vitamin B2).

âThere may be concern about fortified foods but they have a role to play in providing micro nutrients that may be lacking,â a BNF spokeswoman added.

Many Marmite fans had been outraged at the news, using Twitter to urge Britain to launch a tit-for-tat trade war and ban bacon, Lego and Carlsberg.

But the fierce reaction to the news has led to the Embassy of Denmark in London issuing an official statement denying the ban.

‘Neither Marmite nor Vegemite and similar products have been banned by the Danish Food And Veterinary Administration.

‘However, fortified foods with added vitamins, minerals or other substances can not be marketed in Denmark unless approved by Danish food authorities.’

‘The Danish Food and Veterinary Administration has not received an application for marketing in Denmark of Marmite or similar products with added vitamins or minerals. ‘